Gordon Dam, a hydro-electric dam in south-west Tasmania.

Tasmania may host huge new AI data centres

You have

17days left to make a submission

You can have your say on the government's draft rules for data centre and AI infrastructure developers before submissions close on 12 October 2026.SOURCE-58

Have your say (opens in a new tab)

Opens the Tasmanian Government's consultation site.

At full load, the data centres proposed for Tasmania could draw 78% to 94% of all the electricity the state used in 2024-25.SOURCE-11SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-56SOURCE-57SOURCE-24

Government and industry also make arguments for data centres. The case for

Jump to a section

High-voltage transmission towers carrying power lines across open ground at Bell Bay in northern Tasmania.

Tasmania makes and uses a lot of electricity every year. This picture checks the proposed data centres against that yearly total.

Most of Tasmania's electricity comes from water stored in lakes and dams: hydro made 6,343 of the 8,704 GWh generated in 2024-25.SOURCE-11

Electricity

One block equals 1,000 gigawatt-hours (GWh), a way to measure electricity used over a whole year.

Electricity made in Tasmania in 2024-258,704 GWh
Tasmania's use, plus data centres at full power18,949–20,745 GWh
  • Made in Tasmania 8,704 GWh
  • Tasmania's own use 10,671 GWh
  • Firmus and Viridis 3,898 GWh
  • Six confidential proposals, lower report 4,380 GWh
  • Extra, if the higher report is right +1,796 GWh

SOURCE-11SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-56SOURCE-57SOURCE-24

View as a table
GWh
Electricity made in Tasmania in 2024-258,704
Bought in from the mainland (Basslink)2,509
Tasmania's own use10,671
Firmus and Viridis (445 MW)3,898
Six confidential proposals, lower report (500 MW)4,380
Extra, if the higher report is right (205 MW)1,796

If every proposed data centre runs at full load all year, together they could use between about 78% and 94% of all the electricity Tasmania used in 2024-25.SOURCE-11SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-56SOURCE-57SOURCE-24

Measured against everything Tasmania generates, that same full-power scenario would need about 95% to 116% of the 8,704 gigawatt-hours generated in 2024-25 — at the high end, more than the state generates in a year.SOURCE-11SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-56SOURCE-57SOURCE-24

Even though not all proposals will be built, we will not be able to generate the power required for them.

Hydro Tasmania calls the power system currently "in balance," making about as much power as it uses.SOURCE-70 On the year's own numbers that is a close call: in 2024-25 Tasmania brought in 2,509 gigawatt-hours from the mainland and sent out 542, a net import of 1,967 gigawatt-hours and the third import year in a row.SOURCE-11

Tungatinah Power Station in November 2017, before the fire.

Things break (Tungatinah)

Tungatinah Power Station, in the Central Highlands, caught fire overnight on 2–3 September 2026. The building was destroyed.SOURCE-17SOURCE-18

It made about 142 MW, Tasmania's fifth-largest hydro station, about 5% of the state's power supply. About 300 nearby households lost power.SOURCE-17SOURCE-18

Fire investigators say the blaze was accidental. No restart date has been given.SOURCE-19 Hydro Tasmania switched on the gas-fired Tamar Valley Power Station and said enough generation was running.SOURCE-18

This shows that Tasmania's power supply is not guaranteed. Things can and do break.

Server racks inside a data centre. A generic photo, not taken in Tasmania.

This map shows every data centre site found in Tasmania: seven existing computer rooms, plus the new AI data centres building, approved, proposed or still confidential. Only two of the six confidential proposals have a public location: one in the North-West, one at the old smelter site in George Town.SOURCE-56SOURCE-57SOURCE-12

Map of Tasmania showing data centre sites by stage: operating, building, approved, proposed and confidential.

Map notes and credits

Locations shown are approximate. Four of the six confidential proposals have no published location. Map: Natural Earth (public domain); place coordinates © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

The Tamar River estuary near Beauty Point. Bell Bay sits on this same estuary. A scenic view, not a site photo.

Data centres need water, or another liquid, to stay cool. Here's a simple 3-step explainer.

Data centres use water to cool computer chips, for training an AI model or answering a question.SOURCE-45SOURCE-47 Some is used on site, some at the power stations that generate the electricity.SOURCE-45SOURCE-46SOURCE-47

  1. Where the water comes from TasWaternetwork Rainwatertank Water tankertruck

    1Where the water comes from

    Water can come from TasWater, rain tanks, or a truck. Wesley Vale plans four 250,000-litre rain tanks plus trucked-in water, with no TasWater connection.SOURCE-5SOURCE-20SOURCE-21 No source found says where St Leonards or Bell Bay get theirs.

  2. When water actually evaporates Vapour Water in Coolingtower Wastewater

    2When water evaporates

    In evaporative cooling towers, up to 85% of the water used turns into vapour and leaves the catchment.SOURCE-27 Only some of a site's water is used this way.SOURCE-28

  3. A sealed loop trades water for electricity Sealed loop Chips Radiator Fan Extra power

    3A sealed loop trades water for electricity

    A sealed loop, like St Leonards' or Bell Bay's, keeps liquid inside and tops up only to replace leaks.SOURCE-27SOURCE-29 No site has published a leak rate. Avoiding evaporation costs more electricity, so Wesley Vale takes a middle path: 20 chillers plus 20 water-spray coolers that switch on above 26°C.SOURCE-5SOURCE-20SOURCE-21

Tasmanian sites and the wider picture

This chart projects every proposed data centre from Firmus's own figures. No other proposal has published water figures.SOURCE-20SOURCE-26SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-24

Water used by data centres and homes

One block equals one Olympic pool, 2.5 million litres.SOURCE-30

Every proposed data centre, projected27.0–32.9 million L · 11–13 pools
All homes in George Town municipality, estimated668.7 million L · 267 pools

George Town homes: +225 more pools

  • Firmus's three sites, company figures 12.7 million L
  • Other proposals, projected 14.3 million L
  • Extra, if the higher total is right +5.9 million L

George Town's homes use about 20 to 25 times more water each year than every proposed data centre combined.

A projection from Firmus's combined water use per megawatt, not a disclosure. No other proposal has published its own water figures, and cooling designs differ between sites.SOURCE-20SOURCE-26SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-24SOURCE-31SOURCE-32

Across every proposed data centre, that's about 149 to 181 average Tasmanian homes' worth of water a year.SOURCE-20SOURCE-26SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-24SOURCE-31SOURCE-32

Diesel generator hall inside the NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, 1984. An illustrative image of backup generators, not a data centre.

These generators back up mains power, and run for testing.SOURCE-22SOURCE-23

Wesley Vale plans 40 diesel generators holding up to 400,000 litres on site.SOURCE-25

Bell Bay is approved for 276 generators. How much diesel they'd hold hasn't been made public.SOURCE-22SOURCE-23SOURCE-33

Diesel

One block equals one day of diesel sold in Tasmania, about 1.75 million litres on average.SOURCE-50

Diesel Tasmania had on hand or on the way, April 202648–58 days
Every proposed data centre, 24 hours at full power3.1–4.2 days · 5.4–7.3 million L
  • Diesel on hand or on the way, lower figure 48 days
  • Higher figure, same day +10
  • Diesel burned, lower estimate 3.1 days
  • Extra, for a higher total or a higher burn rate +1.1

These burn figures are a scenario using generic manufacturer rates. No operator has confirmed what it would actually use.SOURCE-48SOURCE-49SOURCE-50SOURCE-24SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-35SOURCE-36

View as a table
LitresDays of Tasmania's diesel sales
Tasmania's average diesel sales, one day1,747,6711
Diesel Tasmania had on hand or on the way, April 2026Not disclosed48–58
Every proposed data centre, 24 hours at full power5,352,480–7,286,4003.1–4.2

The same diesel in road tankers 149–202SOURCE-37

One truck equals one road tanker, 36,000 litres.

24 hours a year allowed, out of 365 days 24 h = 1 / 365SOURCE-22SOURCE-23

+ 323 more days

One square equals one day of the year

The council limits Bell Bay's generators to 24 hours a year, out of 8,760.SOURCE-22SOURCE-23

Firmus has appealed that limit to the state tribunal, wanting to run the generators when the grid is stretched. The appeal is undecided.SOURCE-33

At full load for 24 hours, every proposal would take an estimated 5.4 to 7.3 million litres of diesel — 3.1 to 4.2 days of Tasmania's average diesel sales.SOURCE-24SOURCE-12SOURCE-13SOURCE-35SOURCE-36SOURCE-50

In road tankers, that's 149 to 202 trucks at 36,000 litres each. The higher figure assumes the disputed 705 MW confidential total.SOURCE-37SOURCE-57SOURCE-24SOURCE-12SOURCE-13

General Tasmanian dry eucalypt forest at Sandford, near Hobart. Not a photo of either site.

Two separate bushfire questions come up around these sites: the fuel stored on site, and who would fight a fire there.

1. Diesel stored on site

Wesley Vale could store up to 400,000 litres of diesel on site.SOURCE-25 At Bell Bay, the council required an updated bushfire and emergency plan before construction, after Firmus corrected its generator count from 128 to 276.SOURCE-22SOURCE-23 Both sites sit in a mapped bushfire-prone area, which needs a bushfire hazard plan.SOURCE-34 The vegetation mapped around Bell Bay is dry eucalypt forest, a type adapted to burn.SOURCE-38SOURCE-39SOURCE-40 Wesley Vale sits on farmland that is also mapped bushfire-prone.SOURCE-38SOURCE-40 Four of the six confidential proposals have no published location, so whether they would sit in bushfire-prone areas is unknown.SOURCE-56SOURCE-57 The one named site among them, the closed Liberty Bell Bay smelter, is mapped bushfire-prone too.SOURCE-38SOURCE-40

2. Who fights the fire

As the climate warms, Tasmania is projected to get more than double the Very High Fire Danger days by 2100, and the weather systems behind its worst fires are projected to become more frequent.SOURCE-54SOURCE-55 If a fire starts at a data centre on one of those days, who fights it is a fair question.

Data centres don't run their own fire service. An airport over 350,000 passengers a year must have one.SOURCE-51 A refinery, as a major hazard facility, must keep fire-fighting equipment and trained staff on site.SOURCE-53 The building code asks a data centre only for hydrants and sprinklers the fire service uses.SOURCE-52 In 2022-23 the Tasmania Fire Service had 518 staff, 353 of them career firefighters, and relies heavily on volunteers.SOURCE-41 Fires this size have taken real resources elsewhere: a 2021 battery fire in Victoria needed more than 30 fire trucks and about four days, and a 2021 data-centre fire in France needed 115 firefighters and 44 vehicles — and the building was still destroyed.SOURCE-43 SOURCE-44 The SES doesn't fight fires. Its bushfire role is support: evacuations, traffic control and logistics.SOURCE-41SOURCE-42

A data centre under construction, steel frame and cranes visible — illustrative image, not a Tasmanian or Australian facility.

Bell Bay is a 288 MW site, so Firmus's projected 115 ongoing jobs come to about 0.4 per megawatt.SOURCE-61SOURCE-63SOURCE-74SOURCE-75 Ratios from Virginia's data centre workforce run 1.1 to 1.5 jobs per megawatt, and Ireland's roughly 3 to 5.SOURCE-59SOURCE-60 The Bell Bay application drew 349 written submissions. The council approved it anyway, 6 votes to 1.SOURCE-61SOURCE-62SOURCE-64SOURCE-6

Interior of the Basslink HVDC converter station valve hall at George Town, part of the power cable to the mainland.

Here is each argument for building data centres in Tasmania, with a short check underneath.

  • Jobs and investment

    The government says data centres offer jobs, investment and a more varied economy.SOURCE-67SOURCE-68SOURCE-69

    The check: Firmus projects 380 or more construction jobs and 115 or more ongoing jobs at Bell Bay, the company's own projection.SOURCE-74SOURCE-75 If Bell Bay ran at its full 288 MW all year, that is about 22,000 MWh of power for each of the 115 ongoing jobs.SOURCE-74

  • Renewable power

    The government says Tasmania's renewable energy gives it room to host data centres.SOURCE-67SOURCE-68

    The check: Hydro Tasmania calls the system "in balance," not in surplus.SOURCE-70 And as shown earlier, Tasmania has now imported more power than it sent out for three financial years running.SOURCE-11

  • New power built for them

    The draft rules ask developers to help build new renewable power.SOURCE-67SOURCE-68SOURCE-69 Firmus says it will pay to build double the renewable energy it uses.SOURCE-76

    The check: This rule is still a draft, open for consultation.SOURCE-68 You are part of that consultation.

  • Helping pay for Marinus Link

    A Marinus Link spokesperson says data centre demand shows the new mainland cable is needed.SOURCE-71

    The check: The chair of the Climate Change Authority says the extra load "does bring into doubt" the cable's business case.SOURCE-71 Marinus Link's first stage is a 750 MW cable, and it now costs about $5 billion.SOURCE-14SOURCE-15SOURCE-16 Data centre demand is being used to help justify that spend.SOURCE-71

  • Cooler climate, less cooling

    Firmus claims a Power Usage Effectiveness of 1.03 against a global average of 1.59. That score counts all the energy a site uses beyond the computing itself — cooling, power conversion, lighting — not cooling alone.SOURCE-73

    The check: This is a company figure with no independent audit found. Nordic sites report 1.1 to 1.15.SOURCE-72SOURCE-73SOURCE-79 Nordic data centre sites are much further from the equator than Tasmania. Iceland lies between 63.4° and 66.5° north, while Tasmania's southern tip is 43.6° south.SOURCE-80SOURCE-81

  • Helping the power grid

    Firmus says its sites can cut their power use when supply is short, and already provide grid services.SOURCE-72SOURCE-77

    The check: The system actually registered at St Leonards wasn't a battery. It cuts the site's power use fast, and by early 2022 it reached 17 MW. A separate 2 MW battery there hadn't started working yet. Nothing independent confirms this at Bell Bay's larger scale.SOURCE-77SOURCE-78

Lake Pedder, a Hydro Tasmania storage lake in Southwest National Park, viewed from Red Knoll Lookout.
17days left to make a submission

The Tasmanian Government is asking for feedback on its draft rules for data centre and AI infrastructure developers, called the draft Statement of Expectations. It covers renewable energy, network costs, water use and community engagement. Submissions close 12 October 2026.SOURCE-58

Submissions can cover any part of the plan: energy, water, jobs or community impact. The official page explains how to respond.

Have your say (opens in a new tab)

Opens the Tasmanian Government's consultation site.

See the consultation’s questions

Share this page

This site is independent. It is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the Tasmanian Government.

This site collects nothing about you. If you make a submission, that goes to the Tasmanian Government directly, under its own process.

Want all the detail? Read the 30-minute version of this page.

Sources

Every fact and figure on this page links to where it came from.

See all sources

Every figure on this page links to the source it came from. A source's colour shows which part of the story it supports.

  • LOC Individual sites: location, operator, capacity, planning status.
  • GRD The power grid: supply, demand, dams, Basslink.
  • ENV Water, land, heat, diesel and bushfire risk.
  • COM Communities, councils, the six confidential proposals, parliament.
  • STY Claims made for data centres, checked against evidence.
  • PAR Comparable places elsewhere, such as Iceland and Amsterdam.
  • Primary — the original document
  • Independent — research or analysis
  • Industry — a company or trade body
  • Media — news reporting
  • Advocacy — a campaigning group
  • Reference — a standard, spec or statistical series

In the list below, click a code with an arrow ↑ to jump back to the place on the page where that source is used.

See all 81 sources
  1. SOURCE-1 Data Centre (opens in a new tab), 42-24 (FortyTwo24 Pty Ltd). industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  2. SOURCE-2 DC3 Data Centre (opens in a new tab), TasmaNet Pty Ltd. industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  3. SOURCE-3 TasNetworks Data Centre (opens in a new tab), A.G. Coombs (mechanical services contractor). industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  4. SOURCE-4 University of Tasmania loses $5m HPC cluster to floods (opens in a new tab), iTnews. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  5. SOURCE-5 Firmus seeks approval for Wesley Vale AI data centre (opens in a new tab), w.media (Asia-Pacific data centre trade press). mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  6. SOURCE-6 Firmus secures approval for 288MW Bell Bay AI factory (opens in a new tab), w.media. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  7. SOURCE-7 Firmus wins approval to build $2.1bn AI Factory in Launceston (opens in a new tab), w.media. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  8. SOURCE-8 $2.1 billion AI factory approval to boost Launceston economy (opens in a new tab), The Examiner (Launceston). mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  9. SOURCE-9 Tasmanian Colo (homepage) (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Colo. industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  10. SOURCE-10 PIPE Networks Hobart (opens in a new tab), PeeringDB (industry-run interconnection registry; facility record is self-reported by the facility's own org, here listed as Vocus Group). primaryAccessed 2026-09-16
  11. SOURCE-11 Energy in Tasmania Report 2024-25 (CORRECTED) (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Economic Regulator. primaryAccessed 2026-09-21 7 mentions
  12. SOURCE-12 Our silent power surge: six secret AI data centre proposals revealed (opens in a new tab), The Examiner (Launceston, TAS) — Australian Community Media. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 13 mentions
  13. SOURCE-13 Six new AI data centres proposed for Tasmania, but companies behind them are being kept secret (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 11 mentions
  14. SOURCE-14 AER Final Decision - Marinus Link Stage 1, Part B (Construction costs) - February 2026 (opens in a new tab), Australian Energy Regulator (AER). primaryAccessed 2026-09-13
  15. SOURCE-15 Marinus costs blow out to more than $5 billion, but backers insist it is still value for money (opens in a new tab), RenewEconomy. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  16. SOURCE-16 Marinus Link — Overview (opens in a new tab), Marinus Link Pty Ltd (project company, jointly owned by Tasmanian and Australian governments). industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  17. SOURCE-17 Tasmanian power station catches fire (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-15 2 mentions
  18. SOURCE-18 Tungatinah power station fire impact energy network Tasmania (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-15 3 mentions
  19. SOURCE-19 Tas Tungatinah power station fire cause (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-15
  20. SOURCE-20 Firmus plans to truck water in and use rainwater to cool proposed Wesley Vale AI data centre (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 5 mentions
  21. SOURCE-21 (same article as ENV-01 — cooling trigger temperature and DA submission dates) (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  22. SOURCE-22 Firmus AI Bell Bay Data Centre - Key Facts (288MW, 6-1 vote, conditions) (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 5 mentions
  23. SOURCE-23 Firmus AI data centre at Bell Bay gets tick from planners ahead of George Town Council vote (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 5 mentions
  24. SOURCE-24 Six new AI data centres proposed for Tasmania, but companies behind them are being kept secret (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 10 mentions
  25. SOURCE-25 Firmus lodges plans for second Tasmanian AI factory at Bell Bay / Firmus seeks approval for Wesley Vale AI data centre (opens in a new tab), Pulse Tasmania / w.media. Also: w.media (opens in a new tab). mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  26. SOURCE-26 Facing public backlash in Tasmania, Firmus moves to calm concerns about its AI data centres (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  27. SOURCE-27 Data Center Water Use (opens in a new tab), MOST Policy Initiative. independentAccessed 2026-09-18 2 mentions
  28. SOURCE-28 Data centre water consumption (opens in a new tab), npj Clean Water. independentAccessed 2026-09-15
  29. SOURCE-29 Australia's Firmus launches immersion-cooled bare metal AI cloud with STT GDC (opens in a new tab), Data Center Dynamics. mediaAccessed 2026-09-15
  30. SOURCE-30 Olympic swimming pool volume (FINA-standard 50m×25m×2m min. depth = 2,500,000 L), aggregated (ClearComfort / sportsgeardaily / Sensazioni, via search) (opens in a new tab). mediaAccessed 2026-09-15
  31. SOURCE-31 TasWater's Annual Performance Report FY 2024-25 (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Economic Regulator. primaryAccessed 2026-09-15 2 mentions
  32. SOURCE-32 George Town, 2021 Census Community Profile / QuickStats (opens in a new tab), Australian Bureau of Statistics. primaryAccessed 2026-09-15 2 mentions
  33. SOURCE-33 AI data centre company Firmus lodges TASCAT appeal against council's 'unreasonable' restricted generator use (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-15 2 mentions
  34. SOURCE-34 C13.0 Bushfire-Prone Areas Code (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Planning Commission / Dept. of State Growth. primaryAccessed 2026-09-15
  35. SOURCE-35 "mtu 16V4000 DS2250" product data sheet (ref 3238411_PG_spec_16V4000DS2250_2160kVA_3F_FC_50Hz) (opens in a new tab), mtu (Rolls-Royce Power Systems). referenceAccessed 2026-09-16 2 mentions
  36. SOURCE-36 "Industrial Diesel Generator Set – KD2000" spec sheet (doc ref G5-626, 9/23) (opens in a new tab), Kohler Co.. referenceAccessed 2026-09-16 2 mentions
  37. SOURCE-37 How Much Fuel Does A Tanker Truck Hold? Tanker Capacity, Size, And Limits (opens in a new tab), Elan Fuels. referenceAccessed 2026-09-16 2 mentions
  38. SOURCE-38 TASVEG 4.0 (Layer 85), Public/NaturalEnvironment MapServer (opens in a new tab), Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania / thelist.tas.gov.au (Tasmanian Government spatial data service). primaryAccessed 2026-09-17 3 mentions
  39. SOURCE-39 "The Vegetation Communities — Dry eucalypt forest and woodland" (f2f_dry_eucalypt.pdf) (opens in a new tab), Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas). primaryAccessed 2026-09-17
  40. SOURCE-40 Tasmanian Planning Scheme Code Overlay (Layer 14), Public/PlanningOnline MapServer (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Government / thelist.tas.gov.au. primaryAccessed 2026-09-17 3 mentions
  41. SOURCE-41 State Fire Commission Annual Report 2022-23 (opens in a new tab), Tasmania Fire Service / State Fire Commission. primaryAccessed 2026-09-17 2 mentions
  42. SOURCE-42 "About" page (opens in a new tab), Tasmania State Emergency Service (SES). primaryAccessed 2026-09-17
  43. SOURCE-43 Reporting on the Victorian Big Battery (Tesla Megapack) fire, Moorabool, 30 July 2021 (opens in a new tab), ABC News / pv magazine Australia. Also: pv-magazine-australia.com (opens in a new tab). mediaAccessed 2026-09-21
  44. SOURCE-44 Reporting on the OVHcloud SBG2 data centre fire, Strasbourg, 10 March 2021 (opens in a new tab), The Stack / Data Center Dynamics. Also: datacenterdynamics.com (opens in a new tab). mediaAccessed 2026-09-21
  45. SOURCE-45 Making AI Less 'Thirsty': Uncovering and Addressing the Secret Water Footprint of AI Models (opens in a new tab), Li, Yang, Islam & Ren (UC Riverside / UT Arlington); arXiv preprint, later published in Communications of the ACM. independentAccessed 2026-09-17 2 mentions
  46. SOURCE-46 Energy and AI (opens in a new tab), Silicon Canals. mediaAccessed 2026-09-17
  47. SOURCE-47 The Real Story on AI Water Usage at Data Centers (opens in a new tab), IEEE Spectrum. mediaAccessed 2026-09-17 2 mentions
  48. SOURCE-48 "Viva Geelong refinery fire won't be a problem for us, Tasmanian government says" (17 April 2026) (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-17
  49. SOURCE-49 "Selfs Point tanks eyed for revival as Tasmania shores up fuel supply" (17 April 2026) (opens in a new tab), Pulse Tasmania. mediaAccessed 2026-09-17
  50. SOURCE-50 Australian Petroleum Statistics — Data Extract, July 2026 (sheet "Sales by state and territory", column "Diesel oil: total", State = TAS) (opens in a new tab), Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), via energy.gov.au. primaryAccessed 2026-09-17 3 mentions
  51. SOURCE-51 Civil Aviation Safety Regulations 1998 (Compilation No. 73, F2016C00889) — Part 139 Subpart 139.H, regulation 139.755 (opens in a new tab), Commonwealth of Australia, Federal Register of Legislation (Office of Parliamentary Counsel). primaryAccessed 2026-09-20
  52. SOURCE-52 National Construction Code (NCC 2022), Volume One — Part E1 "Fire fighting equipment" (E1P3, E1D2) (opens in a new tab), Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). primaryAccessed 2026-09-20
  53. SOURCE-53 Guide for Major Hazard Facilities — Emergency Plans (March 2012) (opens in a new tab), Safe Work Australia. primaryAccessed 2026-09-20
  54. SOURCE-54 Future fire danger climatology for Tasmania, Australia, using a dynamically downscaled regional climate model (opens in a new tab), CSIRO Publishing. primaryAccessed 2026-09-20
  55. SOURCE-55 Bushfire danger set to increase (opens in a new tab), Climate Futures Tasmania, University of Tasmania (Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies; successor to the Climate Futures for Tasmania project). independentAccessed 2026-09-20
  56. SOURCE-56 Six new AI data centres proposed for Tasmania, but companies behind them are being kept secret (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 7 mentions
  57. SOURCE-57 Our silent power surge: six secret AI data centre proposals revealed (opens in a new tab), The Examiner. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 8 mentions
  58. SOURCE-58 Draft Expectations for Data Centres and AI Infrastructure Developers (opens in a new tab), Engage with Building Tasmania. primaryAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  59. SOURCE-59 Artificial Jobs: The Illusion of Big Tech's Data Center Employment Claims (opens in a new tab), Food & Water Watch, research brief, January 2026. advocacyAccessed 2026-09-13
  60. SOURCE-60 The value of data centres to Ireland (opens in a new tab), KPMG, prepared for Ireland's Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, March 2026. industryAccessed 2026-09-13
  61. SOURCE-61 Firmus 288-megawatt AI data centre at Bell Bay, Tasmania gets approval after 6-1 council vote (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  62. SOURCE-62 George Town Council approves data centre despite public fury (opens in a new tab), The Examiner. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  63. SOURCE-63 Firmus plans to truck water in and use rainwater to cool proposed Wesley Vale AI data centre (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  64. SOURCE-64 George Town Council approves 288-megawatt AI data centre at Bell Bay (opens in a new tab), Pulse Tasmania. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  65. SOURCE-65 Draft Expectations for Data Centres and AI Infrastructure Developers: Tasmania (opens in a new tab), Tasmanian Government. primaryAccessed 2026-09-24 11 mentions
  66. SOURCE-66 Have your say (opens in a new tab), Engage with Building Tasmania. primaryAccessed 2026-09-24 13 mentions
  67. SOURCE-67 Clear expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure (opens in a new tab), Premier of Tasmania, premier.tas.gov.au. primaryAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  68. SOURCE-68 Draft Expectations for Data Centres and AI Infrastructure Developers (opens in a new tab), Engage with Building Tasmania. primaryAccessed 2026-09-13 4 mentions
  69. SOURCE-69 If you build it… Tasmania sets the state's expectations for data centres and AI infrastructure (opens in a new tab), Cyber Daily. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  70. SOURCE-70 Hydro Tasmania to decide by end of year on AI data centre company Firmus's request for 450 MW (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  71. SOURCE-71 Energy industry sector weighs in on AI data centre risks to Marinus Link (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  72. SOURCE-72 Project Southgate Bell Bay: FAQs (opens in a new tab), Firmus Technologies. industryAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  73. SOURCE-73 Carbon-aware Computing (opens in a new tab), Firmus Technologies newsroom. industryAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  74. SOURCE-74 Firmus 288-megawatt AI data centre at Bell Bay, Tasmania gets approval after 6-1 council vote (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 3 mentions
  75. SOURCE-75 Firmus secures approval for 288MW Bell Bay AI factory (opens in a new tab), w.media. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  76. SOURCE-76 Firmus wants to build three AI data centres in Tasmania, but can the state handle them? (opens in a new tab), ABC News. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  77. SOURCE-77 Firmus and Eaton Showcase How AI Factories Can Support the Grid — Not Strain It (opens in a new tab), Firmus Technologies newsroom, un. industryAccessed 2026-09-13 2 mentions
  78. SOURCE-78 Firmus Grid Pty Ltd submission to the AEMO Guide to Generator Exemption and Classification of Generating Units consultation (opens in a new tab), Firmus Grid Pty Ltd. industryAccessed 2026-09-18
  79. SOURCE-79 Is Iceland the coolest location for data centres? (opens in a new tab), Engineering and Technology Magazine. mediaAccessed 2026-09-13
  80. SOURCE-80 Geography of Iceland — the land of ice and fire (opens in a new tab), Visit Iceland (Iceland's official travel guide, operated by Business Iceland). referenceAccessed 2026-09-24
  81. SOURCE-81 Continental Extremities (opens in a new tab), Geoscience Australia (Australian Government). primaryAccessed 2026-09-24

Credits and licensing

See all 10 photo credits
  1. Gordon Dam, south-west Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: BennyG3255, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-14
  2. Transmission towers at Bell Bay, Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: 1Ink, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-18
  3. Tungatinah Power Station, Central Highlands, Tasmania (2017, before the 2026 fire) (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Gary Houston, CC0 1.0 Universal (Public Domain Dedication) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-15
  4. Server racks in a data centre (not in Tasmania) (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Carl Lender, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-15
  5. Tamar River near Beauty Point, Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Steven Penton, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-15
  6. Generator hall, NORAD Cheyenne Mountain Complex, Colorado (not in Tasmania) (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Bob Simons, U.S. Air Force, Public Domain (work of a U.S. federal government employee, created in the course of official duties) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-16
  7. Dry sclerophyll forest, Sandford, Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Mgbird26, Dual-licensed GNU Free Documentation License 1.2+ and Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-15
  8. Data centre under construction, Wissous, France (not in Tasmania) (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Like tears in rain, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-16
  9. Basslink converter station, George Town, Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: Minze2810, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-15
  10. Lake Pedder, south-west Tasmania (opens in a new tab) — Photo: SamCoCh, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) (opens in a new tab), cropped and resized. Accessed 2026-09-16

What the consultation asks

These are the Tasmanian Government’s own ten consultation questions, quoted directly from its Have your say survey and draft document.SOURCE-65SOURCE-66 Below each one, this guide notes where our research is relevant. It offers no suggested wording. Every question is optional. Only the acknowledgement, your name, email and region are required.SOURCE-66

  1. “What practical commitments would best support Tasmanian jobs, skills, local procurement and lasting community benefits?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Jobs and the community and The case for.

  2. “What opportunities could data centre and AI infrastructure investment create for Tasmania’s digital ecosystem, research and technology enabled industries?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    This site has no evidence on this question.

  3. “What information should proponents provide early, and which stakeholders should be engaged, to inform community understanding and project design?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Jobs and the community and Where they are.

  4. “How can government assist proponents in navigating existing approval, infrastructure and commercial processes?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    This site has no evidence on this question.

  5. “What commercial arrangements, demand-flexibility measures and technologies can support additional energy supply while protecting system security and existing customers?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Is there enough power? and The case for.

  6. “What practical information should proponents provide to support coordinated network and generation planning?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Is there enough power? and Where they are.

  7. “What technologies, siting practices and commercial arrangements can minimise water use and protect existing users and water security?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: How water cooling works.

  8. “How can proponents and government improve early coordination and provide clearer information within existing approval pathways?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Jobs and the community.

  9. “What project information would best support meaningful early community engagement?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Where they are and Jobs and the community.

  10. “Noting commercial confidentiality, privacy, cyber security and national security considerations, what non-sensitive information could proponents reasonably make public to build community confidence?”SOURCE-65SOURCE-66

    On this page: Diesel backup generators and Where they are.

Your name (or your organisation’s name) is published with your response unless you ask, in writing, when you submit, for it to be kept confidential. Without that request, the Tasmanian Government treats your response as public.SOURCE-66

The official consultation page has the full draft and the survey. This site is independent. It is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the Tasmanian Government or the consultation process.

Have your say on the draft (opens in a new tab)

Get in touch

Spotted an error, have a source to share, or a question about the datacentre proposals? Add it below.

Your message is sent through FormSubmit, a third-party form-to-email service, so it passes through their system before it arrives here. Your email is optional and is only used to reply to you — please don't include any personal details you're not comfortable sharing.

Your privacy is respected

No personally identifiable data is collected by your use of this website, except when you use the contact form, in which case your email and message is collected and sent.

About this site

This site was built by concerned Tasmanian citizens who believe better decisions can be made with better information. All statements on this site are backed up by external sources. The creators of this website are in no way affiliated with any political party or group.

There is no copyright on this site, so please feel free to reproduce any part of it.